Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Reluctant Hallelujah

by Gabrielle Williams (Goodreads Author)

3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 · rating details · 107 ratings · 42 reviews

But there I go, getting ahead of myself. Skipping straight to the part where I was front-page news and they were calling me Dorothy, instead of starting at the beginning...

When Dodie's parents go missing just as final year exams are about to start, she convinces herself they're fine. But when the least likely boy in class holds the key – quite literally – to the huge secre...more

Paperback, 264 pages

Published February 22nd 2012 by Penguin Australia

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

2012 Aussie YA Releases

12th out of 41 books — 119 voters

Love Notes From Vinegar House by Karen Tayleur

The Reluctant Hallelujah by Gabrielle Williams

Clever, Curious and Cringeworthy Book Titles of 2012

4th out of 22 books — 12 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 589)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

May 28, 2012 Shirley Marr rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Shirley by: Reynje

Shelves: aussie-ya

I have this theory that Gabby Williams wrote this novel while she was watching Weekend at Bernies, while reading The Da Vinci Code, in the backseat of a car going on a road trip and then she looked up and went "Hey, look on the dashboard - it's a plastic Jesus! But imagine if it weren't a dashboard, but maybe instead the boot and…"

Okay, let me first explain that a few months ago The Reluctant Hallelujah was my number 1 Aussie YA Du Jour for 2012. I like how it was being publicised as the most q...more

43 likes · like · see review

Apr 11, 2012 Reynje rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Reynje by: Shirley Marr

Shelves: australian, contemp-or-realistic, face-punch-endings, it-s-complicated, out-of-the-loop, read-2012, young-adult, swap

This review also appears at The Midnight Garden

2.5 stars

On the surface of things, The Reluctant Hallelujah contains all the necessary ingredients that go into cooking up a very cool book. A mystery, a road trip, Williams’ trademark wit, teenage highjinks and lots of love for my home city, Melbourne. And this is why it pains me to say that I found the end product of The Reluctant Hallelujah slightly undercooked, leaving me with the distinctly bitter aftertaste of disappointment.

Having already be...more

20 likes · like · see review

Nov 25, 2012 Belle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-the-feelings, aussie-aussie-aussie, halo-halo-halo, hey-i-just-met-you, inner-teen, swoon-alert

It's three days till Dodie finishes school forever, and her life is in chaos. Not because of school, but because her parents have gone missing and she's discovered that they've been hiding something in their basement. Something that millions of people would love to get their hands on - including some very Bad Guys. Now Dodie must transport The Thing from Melbourne to Sydney with her little sister, an acquaintance and two strangers in tow... and the Bad Guys on their tail.

I'll be honest: I didn't...more

8 likes · like · see review

Apr 04, 2012 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-ya, lovely-covers, awesome-title, read-in-2012

Because writing a review of this boggles the mind I shall let the kitty say what needs to be said.

K thx bye

10 likes · like · see review

Jul 12, 2012 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: road-trips

When I heard the author had a new book coming out, and that it was a road trip and sounded like complete fun, I straightaway added it onto my to-read list. I can happily say that this book exceeded my expectations by far.

Intriguing and funny, The Reluctant Hallelujah, jumps straight into the story, not wasting a second! As the book progressed the author paced the book perfectly, making for a lively read, with not a dull moment in sight.

The characters in this story, each and every one on of them,...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 09, 2012 Lux rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: love-love-love, 2012-favourites

This review can also be found at my blog, the world is quiet here.

Once again, Gab Williams (who wrote Beatle Meets Destiny) has written a novel full of heart, and quite literally, soul. The Reluctant Hallelujah delivers a smart, lively narrator, and a quick-wit cast of dynamic characters. Five teenagers. One dead guy. Helluva roadtrip indeed!

After the discovery of a hidden basement that homes something (someone) unimaginably precious, a mad scramble through the drains of Melbourne, and an encoun...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 26, 2012 Steph Bowe rated it 5 of 5 stars

In anticipation of reading this novel, I read all of the reviews of it everywhere on the internet. (This is usually a poor decision. I wouldn't do this if I were you. Stop reading now. I'm kidding. Stay.) The reviews seem to come in two varieties: 1. "This book is brilliantly written but is way too ridiculous and absurd for me", and 2. "This book is brilliantly written and so ridiculous it's awesome." I am so definitely in the second camp. I may have mentioned that I love out-there ridiculousne...more In anticipation of reading this novel, I read all of the reviews of it everywhere on the internet. (This is usually a poor decision. I wouldn't do this if I were you. Stop reading now. I'm kidding. Stay.) The reviews seem to come in two varieties: 1. "This book is brilliantly written but is way too ridiculous and absurd for me", and 2. "This book is brilliantly written and so ridiculous it's awesome." I am so definitely in the second camp. I may have mentioned that I love out-there ridiculousness in novels. The Reluctant Hallelujah has exactly that out-there ridiculousness I love, and yet reading it, it's as if everything that's happening is perfectly normal.

There's a revelation that comes fairly early on in the novel that put some readers off entirely. I guessed what it was before I'd even started reading, and it wasn't something that offended my sensibilities. I probably would've enjoyed it more had I been surprised, while other readers will know the book isn't for them once they find out. (I'm not going to tell you what the revelation is - you can figure it out for yourself. There are a lot of hints, though.)

I remember Gabrielle Williams spoke about this novel at the Ballarat Writers Festival last year, and mentioned her US publisher's concern over the themes - I'm not sure whether it is being published in the US, and I can understand why it wouldn't be (despite the fact that it's hilarious and brilliantly written and a great read). I would hope that the controversial aspects don't overshadow the fact that it's quite a brilliant novel.

The character development is excellent - of almost every single character involved. Dodie and her sister were somewhat irritating (their poor decision-making is probably realistic, but still frustrating). There's still a real insight into these characters. There does need to be a fair bit of suspension of disbelief (which, once you get past that 40 page mark, everything else hardly seems unbelievable), and though it has a thriller plotline it's more of a character-driven tale. Lots of funny conversations and sweet scenes. It's a road trip novel! I love road trip novels.

This is definitely one for the older YA crowd. It's written in a very conversational, teenager-y style (I am excellent at adjectives, as I'm sure you can tell). I think all of the geographical details (lots of which I recognised! The first part of the novel occurs in Melbourne and underneath Melbourne, creepily) lent believability, and firmly set a fairly out-of-this-world story in the real world. It's pretty splendid, less crazy-adventuring and race-against-time type stuff than I expected (it is certainly not the Da Vinci Code) but full of really genuine characters.

So you might hate it. That crazy revelation might be a little too crazy for you. But even if you don't share my love of the delightfully wacky (and it's pretty gutsy, really), it's well-written and endearing and full of realistic characters in a hilarious, unrealistic situation. It sounds weird, but somehow, it works.(less)

like · see review

Apr 11, 2012 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenage, australian

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Now this teen book is one to really enjoy, unlike the last one I just reviewed. Dodie is a year 12 student about the sit her final exams, when her parents go missing from her home. She is approached by another student at her school, Enron, a boy with whom she has never even conversed, who tells her about a secret basement in her house which is the hiding place for something precious that her parents have agreed to care for. Dodie doesn't believe Enron, but together with her friends, they decide...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 11, 2012 Celine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

Review originally posted in: http://forget8me8not.blogspot.com.au/...

Cover:
LOVE. The flickering lights from the cross gives this bright effect to the dark background in the cover. Simple and awesome.

Story:

One Helluva Road Trip.

One day, Dodie went home and found that her parents have gone missing. Suddenly, Enron, a guy who she never spoke with before in school came to her and said that his mother left her instructions to deal with what's happening. So Enron, Dodie, and Coco (Dodie's little siste...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 07, 2012 Maggie marked it as to-read

Shelves: aussie-aussie-aussie-oi-oi-oi

"My latest book is ‘The Reluctant Hallelujah’, about a group of teenagers who have to drive – unlicensed – in a 1964 Ford Falcon up to Sydney, just before exams start, and deliver a very important ‘package’ that their parents (and grandparents before them) have been looking after for the past 28 years. My publisher thinks it will probably be quite controversial, and my publisher in America won’t have a bar of it because they think it’s way too crazy, so I’m kind of nervous about what kind of res

...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 06, 2012 Adele rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Reluctant Hallelujah is a lovely piece of writing by Gabrielle Williams. She effortlessly combines quirky yet grounded characters in situations that stretch the imagination yet feel very real. While this is a quest tale it also explores that interesting dynamic that can only exist between sisters, the notion of faith (in every version of the word) and being open to the world.

A motley crew of characters meet an unreal adventure with humour, awe and some action thrown into the mix. Full of hea...more

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 17, 2012 Mollyflowers rated it 1 of 5 stars

All I can say is... weird. Starts out promising then quickly becomes unenjoyable. Will probably win lots of "awards" for being literary and wanky, but I am not sure if a normal person will like it. BAD. Also do NOT read if you are a Christian. The burning cross on the front is indicative of the "edgy" humour (read insults) you are going to encounter. It's a sad state of affairs when a book like this doesn't get contested, but then again, maybe it's because no one has read or even heard about thi...more

like · see review

Apr 29, 2012 Liz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian-lit, ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Really this is a three-and-a-half star book, for me. I enjoyed it, and the writing was excellent, but at the end, it didn't quite add up for me.

Gearing up for her HSC, Dodie doesn't think much of it when her parents aren't home one evening. But when they're still not back the next day, and a boy she's barely spoken to at school seems to know more about it than she does, she and her sister Coco start worrying. Before long, they are embarking on a quest to complete their parents' work, which invol...more

like · see review

Feb 13, 2012 Bec rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: coming-of-age, ya

The Reluctant Hallelujah is only the second book by this author, but like the first, is outstanding in its originality and ease. There are no false starts in reading this book. No pushing through the first chapter as the characters slowly sink their teeth into you. No, from the moment Dodie Farnshaw introduces herself, this book will have you in it’s clutches until it’s good and ready to let you go.
My full review here http://beckavanaghreads.wordpress.com...

1 like · like · see review

Apr 13, 2012 Alicia Papp rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-ya-reading-challenge

Oh dear - I really loved Beatle meets Destiny, but The Reluctant Hellelujah left me cold which is a shame, because I was really looking forward to reading this book. I found the main characters, especially Coco annoying (whee let's post details of our secret plan on Facebook, let's get drunk and spill the beans), the whole thing implausible, and as to the secret in the basement - really? That's what you came up with? I actually snorted in disbelief and that really skewed the rest of the story fo...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 20, 2012 Mandee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie, aussieya2012, aww2012, ya-lit, for-review, feb2012release, review-on-the-blog, penguin

The Reluctant Hallelujah by Gabrielle Williams is set in Melbourne, then it travels through Victoria and NSW and arrives in Sydney.

Dorothy, or Dodie (Doe as in doe-a-deer-a-female-deer; Dee as in de-lighted to meet you), Farnshaw is about to complete her final year of high school. She and her younger sister, Coco, live at home with their parents. One afternoon Dodie returns home to find her parents aren't there. Neither of the girls panic, assuming their parents are still at work or out. Unfortu...more The Reluctant Hallelujah by Gabrielle Williams is set in Melbourne, then it travels through Victoria and NSW and arrives in Sydney.

Dorothy, or Dodie (Doe as in doe-a-deer-a-female-deer; Dee as in de-lighted to meet you), Farnshaw is about to complete her final year of high school. She and her younger sister, Coco, live at home with their parents. One afternoon Dodie returns home to find her parents aren't there. Neither of the girls panic, assuming their parents are still at work or out. Unfortunately their parents are still missing the following morning. At school, a boy in her year, Ron Nicholls otherwise known as Enron, let's Dodie know that his mother might know why her parents are missing and asks to meet her later on. And so begins the craziest week of Dodie's life.

From the very first page, where Dodie shares the pronunciation of her name, I was hooked. Dodie is a smart, snappy, sarcastic girl who's also caring and full of love for her parents and sister. Reading her thoughts and comments throughout the book was a pleasure, she makes a great narrator. I immediately wanted to know what had happened to her parents and wondered what I would have thought if I was in Dodie's place.

It turns out their house has a secret basement and there is something very important down there that Dodie needs to transport to Sydney. Luckily for her she has the help of her friends, Jools and Minty and her sister Coco and Enron. Dodie, Coco and Enron travel through the underground tunnels with the precious cargo to another meeting point. Here they join up with two guys, Taxi and Jones. They borrow an old, beat-up car and begin their roadtrip.

Being on the roadtrip with these five (or six if you include the VIP they have travelling with them) was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the banter between the boys and thought Coco was entertaining too as I have a younger sister that sounds a lot like her. I laughed at Dodie talking back to the signs along the highway as it's something I always do on long trips. Although, when we do the trip from Sydney to Melbourne, it takes us 12 hours tops so I was worried each time they chose to stop at a town for the night, prolonging their trip, instead I wanted to rush them along and tell them to just keep going until they reached Sydney.

Towards the end of the book we get to hear Taxi and Jones' history, within about forty pages of each other. Both of their stories were heartbreaking and the book took on a more serious note from there on. There were lots of mishaps along the way and I spent the book worrying that something awful was going to happen, that being so I was still surprised by the ending, I did not see it coming at all! It was sad, bittersweet and I cried until I finished the book.

The roadtrip included some great descriptions of the Victorian bushland and sites along the way and there were two other descriptions that really stuck with me: Dodie describing her parents "They were like a pair of loved-up teenagers, except with greying hair and wrinkly elbows. Salt and pepper without the holes in the head" and her thoughts "I lay on my mattress, pretending to be asleep, but in actual fact rotating my mind like a Lazy Susan at the Chinese restaurant, picking over all the things that could possibly go wrong... round and round like like a never-ending yum-cha of disas-ta".

I was really happy when a love-triangle didn't eventuate as it seems every second YA book involves a girl trying to decide between two guys but this wasn't the case for Dodie who clearly liked Jones and I enjoyed their flirting and conversations.

The Reluctant Hallelujah is a book about family, friends, love and faith and you'll enjoy going along for the ride with Dodie and the gang. The book is released tomorrow, February 22 and I hope you'll go out and buy a copy, tout de suite!(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Apr 02, 2012 Kai (Amaterasu Reads) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: teens, 2012-tbr-pile, for-review

Review posted at Amaterasu Reads

So I picked up my copy of this book and told myself "Oh, only 200 plus pages. This should be a fast read." so I started reading. The first few pages I've read made me giggle, until it became full on laughter and then the unexpected happened:

I cried.

It all sounds so simple, Dodie and her sister had to transport a body to another place. But the thing is, her parents are missing, she doesn't have a clue why they had a basement containing a cardboard coffin, and a ce...more Review posted at Amaterasu Reads

So I picked up my copy of this book and told myself "Oh, only 200 plus pages. This should be a fast read." so I started reading. The first few pages I've read made me giggle, until it became full on laughter and then the unexpected happened:

I cried.

It all sounds so simple, Dodie and her sister had to transport a body to another place. But the thing is, her parents are missing, she doesn't have a clue why they had a basement containing a cardboard coffin, and a certain boy in school who she barely said 10 sentences to all her life is suddenly talking to her. Oh, and they're not transferring just anybody. It's someone very important. Let's just say if word goes out that he's there, the very foundation of Christian faith had a potential of getting rattled pretty badly.

Taking advice from a friend and Australian book blogger, Braiden of Book Probe Reviews, I expected to be a little bit misty eyed while reading this book. I've always thought I had a high threshold before crying, but The Reluctant Hallelujah made me grab onto my tissue box often and had me sniffing long before I flipped through the last page. Yes, Gab Williams, your book grabbed my heart, squeezed it tight and it made me wail like a baby.

Road trip themed books are so much fun to read, and Gabrielle Williams just reminded me of all the reasons why I loved it. Aside of encountering countless scenery which can provide great backdrops for the whole story, there's something about taking this kind of journey that compels characters to share more about themselves, and readers get to know them better and deeper because they get to know these characters through their own words.

Dodie's character felt so alive! I love reading about characters with a great voice who had lots to say, witty and clever things and even foolish things and Dodie is like that and more. Taxi, Jones, Eron. They had their own stories to tell. Their own pain and sorrow, regrets, events that made them wary of life. The journey all of these characters took define a whole lot about their lives. In some ways, these lost kids found their way to whatever it is they are searching for by taking an adventure that will last them a lifetime.

I have a knack for reading books that made my heart ached so much and The Reluctant Hallelujah just made me feel so emotional and transformed me into a wreck and it made me appreciate a lot of things I take for granted in my life. My family, my life as a whole, the blessings I have. The characters in this book lack a lot of those things and yet they still persevere, to show people that they are more than what they seem. Jones was a perfect example for that, and even though I still can't quite understand why he had to do what he did, I appreciated Jones for what he really was. Maybe things happen for a reason, like grabbing on to that one unexpected, extraordinary opportunity that changes the course of your life forever.

The Reluctant Hallelujah will surprise you in a lot of ways. Deep, moving, and important in all the ways that count, Gab Williams introduces to us a book that will make us stop once in a while and think of things that matter to us. Oh, and did I mention that it's got some explosive car chases, lots of witty banters and smart comebacks, laid back scenes and moments that will just make you tear up a little bit? What else can I say? I love this book! Give it a try!
(less)

like · see review

Feb 20, 2012 Braiden rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-ya-2012, aussie-ya, best-books-i’ve-read-in-2012

If the plot’s journey doesn’t do it for you, then the characters most definitely will.

****

If you have read Beatle Meets Destiny you would know that Gab Williams knows how to find that perfect voice for her characters. In The Reluctant Hallelujah Dodie is given this distinct voice that changes over the course of the book, which becomes influenced by the decisions and actions she has to make and commit to while on this quest and road-trip. Of course you’re going to be frantic and stressed when you...more If the plot’s journey doesn’t do it for you, then the characters most definitely will.

****

If you have read Beatle Meets Destiny you would know that Gab Williams knows how to find that perfect voice for her characters. In The Reluctant Hallelujah Dodie is given this distinct voice that changes over the course of the book, which becomes influenced by the decisions and actions she has to make and commit to while on this quest and road-trip. Of course you’re going to be frantic and stressed when you’re final Year 12 exams are just a couple of days away. In addition to this, you’re going to feel like you’ve been run over by a truck ten times over when you discover that your parents have been hiding a family secret right under your nose and you have to move this “secret” to Sydney days before your exams in which you’ve barely studied for, you have to care for your sister which you hardly like to spend time with, drive a car without a license with a couple of guys you know nothing about, and all you have on your mind is being convicted as a criminal and sent to jail when you’re just doing a job you’ve been urged and told to do – fated to do.

What a life – rather mad few days – Dodie has to plow through. Oh and don’t forget when she becomes a hot, emotional wreck once she falls for one of those guys – just another load of weight packed onto the cross she already struggles to pull along. (Who likes my analogy? I sure do!) Obviously you can understand where I’m coming from when I say Dodie has this unique voice. Who wouldn’t be? And add in those witty comments of hers, we have here a young Australian – like any other – about to sit their final exams; emotionally unstable and just about to implode with stress about one’s own future, but witty enough to hide the weight of everything that’s on their shoulders and the sacrifice she has to make for her parents.

Now you know I like to ramble on about books that I love (proof above), but you don’t know – or maybe you do – that I tend to get a despicable love for those authors who have an uncanny ability to transport you right into the thick of everything, into the shoes of the main characters. What also helped in The Reluctant Hallelujah’s case was that I could picture Gab’s scenery in Melbourne, Gippsland, and along the coast to Sydney, as I’ve seen it myself.

If you’re worried that this book will demean religion and faith or be sacrilegious to the point that you think God will disown you or set you alight like a vampire or creature of the night if you even touch or purchase the book, then you are clearly wrong. Gab Williams deals with the idea of religion and faith in such a way that it is reverential, and this clearly shows through her writing, through her characters – although a bit jokey – and the themes and resemblances explored.

Put simply: The Reluctant Hallelujah is an inventive yet insightful view of faith among today’s young people, and with it, a coming-of-age story that teaches us to make sacrifices in our lives for the greater good: for family, for yourself, for your love. This is a book you must read if you love your road-trip stories but bare in mind it ends in a tragedy like no other, a sacrifice like no other… The Reluctant Hallelujah is a love story like no other (just try to keep your ruby slippers with you at all times).(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Feb 21, 2012 ALPHAreader rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. ** – if you don’t know what the ‘package’ is that must be transported to Sydney, I do spoil the reveal in this review. Just saying – you have been warned! **

When Dodie’s parents don’t return home one night, she doesn’t immediately panic. Because Dorothy ‘Dodie’ Farnshaw has a few things on her plate… like exams. Like needing to study and pass her exams, get an amazing ENTER score so she’ll be accepted into a wonderful university and then figure out exactly what it is she wants to do with her lif...more

1 like · like · see review

May 10, 2013 Leanne rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Apr 20, 2012 Jenny rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, kids-ya, couldn-t-finish

If I were to rate this on writing skill alone, it would get 5 stars. This is obviously Williams' strength. Sadly, plotting isn't.

'The thing' in the basement wasn't so much too 'out there' for me - I love 'out there' and weird with a passion - as too easily recognised and unquestionably accepted by the characters. I'm sorry, but this was a huge red flag to me. The revelation flung me so far out of the story that I just couldn't get back in. If it was Williams' intention to shock, she's succeeded,...more

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 19, 2012 Lyn Battersby added it

Shelves: awards

Lyn is a judge for the Aurealis Awards. This review is the personal opinion of Lyn herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.

As I'm currently judging the awards, I'll be rating this once the awards are announced.

like · see review

Dec 03, 2012 Tony Wilson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was so delighed by this book. The first chapter is an absolute beuaty, just for the way an extrordinary event is bound up within a teenager's inability to recognise the extrordinary. The quest is original and funny. The character relationships are excellent.

The ending is awful.

like · see review

Apr 16, 2012 Gab Doquile rated it 4 of 5 stars

This highly inventive and entertaining YA novel is about a road trip, some bad guys, a few miracles and one very special passenger.

The characters are appealing and the dialogue is fast and fresh and funny. Kept me on the edge of my seat, and tugged at my heart strings.

like · see review

Jun 02, 2012 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, 2012-ya-contemporary-challenge, chuckles, made-me-cry, ya-reality, swoon, ya-aussie-challenge, religion, books-i-own

I loved reading this book!! I can't quite explain it but the story was so unbelievable but at the same time it was so real. The writing was excellent and I felt like I was sitting in the car going along on this weird road trip with the rest of the crew. Jones and Taxi were both fantastic, I loved them both and feel like I actually know them (and the probably remind me of boys I used to know). I don't want to give too much away but this was a great book... Great characters, a very interesting an...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 15, 2012 Dominique rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thought this book was absolutely brilliant! Following in Williams' cheeky and funny style of writing, I found it be a charming and clever read. Definitely one I will be recommending to all of my friends!

like · see review

Aug 10, 2012 Anne Weaver rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really like the idea and beginning. Laughed out loud in many places. However, did not enjoy the ending as much. Too tidy and character's reaction seemed too light.

like · see review

Apr 15, 2012 Nick rated it 5 of 5 stars

Brilliant! funny! witty! charming! clever! this book has it all in spades! loved loved loved it! can't wait for Williams' to bring something else out!

like · see review

Apr 16, 2012 Kate Mcculloch rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thought it was really witty and refreshing as it was a bit out there. I love finding new authors who hit the mark.

like · see review

Mar 09, 2012 Trisha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian-ya, ozya2012, ya-literature, road-trip

Such a good read. The combination of humour, crazy and sad works beautifully.

So many good lines to quote. This is my favourite: 'The roads wound around like hairpins keeping the forest's hair out of its face' (p. 136)

Loved it.

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 19 20 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

Genres

Young Adult

9 users

Contemporary

8 users

Travel > Road Trip

4 users

Cultural > Australia

3 users

Realistic Fiction

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Gabrielle Williams

Gabrielle Williams has worked in recording studios, advertising and television. Her first novel for young adults, Beatle Meets Destiny, was shortlisted for two literary awards in 2010. Gabrielle lives in Melbourne with her husband and three teenage children.

More about Gabrielle Williams...

Books by Gabrielle Williams

Two Canadian Clubs And Dry At The Martini Den

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Reluctant Hal...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: The Reluctant Hallelujah
avg rating	preview: The Reluctant Hallelujah Goodreads rating: 3.68 (107 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13055748-the-reluctant-hallelujah?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1321248593l/13055748.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13055748-the-reluctant-hallelujah?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Reluctant Hallelujah by Gabrielle Williams[/url]

The Reluctant Hallelujah

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Gabrielle Williams

Books by Gabrielle Williams

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Reluctant Hal...

new topic
Discuss This Book